Ei Arakawa Artwork Complete Again in Münster
By Je-Seung Lee
A stolen artwork, which was being presented as part of Skulptur Projekte Münster by Japanese artist Ei Arakawa, has been replaced.
On June 17, one of the LED panels presented by Ei Arakawa in a field on the outskirts of Münster as part of Harsh Citation, Harsh Pastoral, Harsh Münster (2017), was stolen. The artwork is a series of seven LED screens that each depict a different painting, including Gustave Courbet’s The Meeting, or Bonjour, Monsieur Courbet (1854), canvases by Gutai artist Atsuko Tanaka and abstract expressionist Joan Mitchell, as well as others. Each LED reinterpretation is accompanied by a song.
After the theft occurred, a police investigation was initiated, though the culprit has not been identified.
Regarding the incident, Arakawa, who is known for his sense of humor, cast the incident in a positive light by stating that the theft is “a really interesting ‘performance’ . . . revealing how vulnerable art in public space can be, and how public space can be violent.” He also added that he would work on a replacement piece, which is now on display in place of the stolen panel a month and a half after the original was taken.
The artwork is on view at its current location until October 1, 2017. As Skulptur Projekte Münster is a decennial exhibition, the next edition will be held in 2027.
Je-Seung Lee is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.
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